Glassware forming machine of the I. S. type for upright press and blow process

ABSTRACT

The individual section of a Hartford I. S. type machine is modified to permit forming the parisons in an upright orientation, and also for transferring the upright parisons from the blank to the blow side of the section without disturbing this upright orientation. The pressing plungers at the blank station are mounted for movement toward and away from the upwardly open blank mold cavities, and each blank mold cavity is defined in part by partible neck ring molds, in part by a lower solid blank or body mold, and finally by intermediate partible mold sections which engage the upper neck ring molds and also the lower body mold. These intermediate mold sections at the blank side of the machine are mounted on the existing blank mold holder arms. The neck ring molds are provided in a structure which is pivotally supported at the free ends of the two neck ring arms, and while these arms are conventionally mounted for pivotal movement in the neck ring mechanism, means is also disclosed for restricting these neck ring structures to so support the parisons that each remains in an upright orientation during transfer from the blank to the blow side of the machine section.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 545,777, filed Jan. 31, 1975.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

In a conventional Hartford I. S. type of glassware machine, a pluralityof independent sections are operated in timed relationship to oneanother, and individual gobs of molten glass are fed to the blank sideof each of these sections also in timed relationship with one another.Each section has one or more upwardly open blank molds for receiving thegob, or groups of gobs and a baffle is adapted to move in and close theopen end of the blank mold in order to permit the gob to be pressed orotherwise formed from below in order to form an inverted parison at theblank station. This inverted parison is transferred or swung over to theblow side of the section where it assumes an upright orientation in afinishing mold. A blow head descends onto the top of the finishing moldand the parison is blown to its final shape while the transfer mechanismreturns with the neck ring mold in order to form another parison orparisons.

The parison transfer mechanism in each of the individual sections ofsuch a machine comprises two neck ring arms mounted in an axially splitneck ring mechanism or hub structure, which structure includes means forrotating these arms through approximately 180°. The neck ring moldhalves are mounted at the free ends of these arms and when the parisonhas been formed at the blank station the still closed neck ring moldhalves serve to clamp the newly formed parisons therebetween as the neckring arms move from the inverted parison position at blank station, toan upright position at the blow station. Once positioned in thefinishing mold, the neck ring arms move apart slightly, by axialmovement of the associated arms, to release the parison and permit thearms and the neck ring molds to return to the blank side of the machine.

The principle aim of the present invention is to adapt a glasswareforming machine section of the foregoing type in order to permit formingof the parison in an upright configuration, and for transfer of theparison to the blow side of the machine while maintaining this uprightorientation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In adapting a conventional Hartford I. S. type glassware machine to theformation of upright parisons at its blank side, and to provide fortransfer of these upright parisons to the blow side of the machine, theblank station has at least one upwardly open blank mold cavity definedby a body mold, which body mold may be of the solid type, and also atthe blank mold station an intermediate mold is provided which may be ofthe split type and mounted on the existing blank mold holder arms. Thetwo halves of the partible neck ring molds, carried by the two neck ringarms respectively, mate with the intermediate and the body mold portionsdefining the blank mold structure. The neck ring arms pivotally supportthe neck ring structure adjacent the free ends thereof, and a hubstructure pivotally and slidably supports the other ends of these armsfor movement between the blank station and the blow station, and formovement toward and away from one another so as to permit releasing ofthe parison at the blow side of the machine section. Finally, means isalso provided for mechanically driving at least one of the neck ringmolds structures as the arm is moved between said stations whereby theparison and neck ring structure remain in a predetermined orientationwith respect to the fixed frame of the machine during transfer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the relevant portions of anindividual glassware forming machine section with certain movable partsbeing shown in broken lines to illustrate alternative positions for suchparts.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the glassware forming machine section depictedin FIG. 1, with a portion of the neck ring structure broken away.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken generally on the line 3--3 ofFIG. 2, but showing the parison forming plungers inserted into the blankmold defining structure at the blank station, and also showing inschematic fashion the conventional timing means used to operate thevarious fluidic devices or components of the typical glassware formingmachine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 3 shows the blankside or station of a glassware forming machine of the Hartford I. S.type wherein one or more gobs of molten glass are adapted to bedelivered into the upwardly open blank mold cavities through the mediumof fixed chutes 10 and 12 associated with each of the cavities in theblank mold structure. Upon loading of the gobs of glass in the blankmold structure the plunger mechanism, indicated generally at 14, wouldbe positioned in its inactive position as best shown in FIG. 2 in orderto permit the gobs of molten glass to be dropped into the upwardly openblank mold structure. Further, and still with reference to FIG. 2, afunnel mechanism indicated generally at 16 is adapted to be swunginwardly over the upwardly open blank mold cavities for guiding thesegobs of glass as they are dropped downwardly from their associatedchutes 10 and 12 into the blank mold structure. This blank moldstructure will now be described in greater detail.

While not necessarily so limited it is to be noted that the blank moldstructure illustrated in FIG. 3 may be similar to that shown anddescribed in my issued U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,862. That is, the blank moldstructure may include a relatively wide cavity lower body mold, arelatively narrow neck ring mold structure, and an intermediate ortransitional mold which is placed between the neck mold and the bodymold so that the parison can be formed. The transitional or intermediatemold is split, the two halves being mounted to the conventional blankmold holder arms provided in a Hartford I. S. type machine. As soconstructed and arranged the intermediate mold halves open after theparison has been formed to permit the parison to reheat and stretch, thebody molds being dropped, or retracted downwardly slightly, so that evenbefore transfer takes place a segment of the cycle is devoted to reheatat the blank station.

With particular reference to FIG. 3, the relatively wide cavity bodymold or molds are depicted at 18 and 20, and a fluid motor in the formof an air cylinder 22 is provided for raising and lowering these solidbody molds 18 and 20. The intermediate or transitional molds 24 and 26,associated with these body molds 18 and 20 respectively, are mounted tothe blank mold holder arms best shown in FIG. 2 at 28 and 30. Theseintermediate molds 24 and 26 are of the partible type, being mounted inpairs to the mold holder arms 28 and 30 in a conventional manner. Thus,a hinge pin 32 is provided in the fixed frame of the machine and thesemold holder arms 28 and 30 are pivotally supported thereby, and areadapted to be operated in timed relationship with other components ofthe machine through conventional mold holder arm moving links (notshown).

Still with reference to the blank mold structure, the neck ring portionsof the blank mold defining structure comprises split or partible neckring molds segments 34 and 36, which neck ring mold halves or segmentsare also provided in pairs, and are preferably mounted in a cartridgestructure best illustrated in FIG. 2 at 38 and 40. Thus, the blank moldstructure of FIG. 2 is of the double gob configuration which permits twoarticles to be formed at one time in each of the various individualsections of a typical glassware forming machine. Each of the blank moldcavities is defined by three cooperating elements as defined in the formof a solid blank body mold 20, an associated intermediate mold 26, andthe neck ring mold 36. It should be noted that the intermediate molds 24and 26 mounted to the mold holder arms 28 and 30 are adapted to clampthe neck ring mold segments in position and in association with the bodymolds. It should perhaps be noted that when the gobs of molten glasshave been fed into the upwardly open blank mold cavities, prior to theconfiguration depicted in FIG. 3, that the funnel 16 cooperates with thesolid body mold in order to receive the gobs of molten glass which willultimately be formed by the pressing plungers 42 and 44.

As mentioned previously, these plungers 42 and 44 are mounted to anassociated supporting structure 14, and will occupy an inactive positionsuch as shown in FIG. 2 when this charge loading step occurs. However,once the gobs have been so deposited in the upwardly open blank moldcavity, the funnels move away and means is provided for moving theplunger supporting arm 14 from the position shown in FIG. 2, and forcausing these plungers to descend into the positions shown for them inFIG. 3, whereby the gob is formed into relatively heavy walled parisonsat the blank side or station of the machine.

In addition to the means for moving the pressing plunger mechanism fromand to the positions mentioned in the previous paragraph, each of thesepressing plungers is individually movable vertically with respect to itsassociated mounting structure 14. The means for so moving these plungerscomprise pistons 46 and 48 to which the plungers are adjustably mountedin order to provide an added degree of freedom for each of the blankstructures, and also, in order to provide two active positions for theseplungers, one determined by the basic means for moving the plungersupporting arm 14 and a slightly lower pressing position for theseplungers as depicted in FIG. 3 whereby the parisons are completelyformed in their associated cavities at a slightly later instant of time.The timing for control of the plungers, and also for control of all ofthe various machine components is derived through the timing drumindicated schematically at 50 in FIG. 3, and air lines associated witheach of the various valves in the valve block portion of the timingmechanism provide signals for operation of the various fluid devices inthe glassware forming machine. The reader is referred to any of thedisclosures in the many patents issued on the timing features of atypical glassware forming machine of this type, and particularly to theU.S. Pat. No. 1,911,119 issued to Ingle in 1933, for a more detaileddiscussion of these control features in a typical machine section.

The plunger supporting structure 14 is operated from and to the positiondescribed above by two air cylinders one of which is shown at 52, whichactuator 52 has a movable portion 54 connected to one end of a link 56,the other end of said link being connected to a crank arm 58 attached torock shaft 60. This shaft 60 is shown to best advantage in FIG. 3, andhas a lower end which is rotatably supported in a support bearing 62 andthe upper end of such shaft 60 carries a flange 64 which is attached toand adapted to rotate a fitting 66. The fitting 66 provides a supportfor the lower end of a shift 68, and thus extension and retraction ofthe movable portion 54 of the actuator 52 causes angular rotation ofthis shaft 68 in order to move the plunger mechanism between theposition shown in FIG. 14 and that depicted in FIG. 3.

In order to achieve vertical movement of the plunger supporting arm 14,shaft 68 has a piston 70 provided adjacent its upper end, which pistonis splined as shown at 72 in order that rotation of the shaft 68 is alsoimparted to the housing portion 74 of this actuator. An air line 76,from the timing mechanism 50, provides air under pressure to the lowerend of housing 74, and thereby lower the housing 74 to the positionshown and hence lowering the plunger supporting arm 14, to the positionshown for it in FIG. 3. When the plunger supporting arm 14 is to beraised from its active position shown to its inactive position (notshown) air under pressure in line 78 to the upper end of housing 74provides the means for lifting the housing 74 and the associated plungersupporting arm 14 and it is noted that rotation of the shaft 68 willoccur once the plungers have cleared the blank mold cavities, suchrotation being achieved by retraction of the actuator 52 as describedpreviously.

An upper support shaft 80 is provided in association with the upper endof the housing 74 in order to further support the housing 74 and tobetter react the forces generated by the plungers 42 and 44. Finally,the upper end of this support shaft 80 is rotatably supported in a fixedbracket 82 provided in the fixed frame of the machine as indicatedgenerally at 84. Finally, and still with reference to the means for somoving the plungers a cushioning device 90 is provided at the uppersurface of the piston 70 and this cushion 90 mates with a correspondingopening defined in the vertically reciprocable housing 74 in order tocushion the downward movement of the plungers 42 and 44. As notedpreviously individual pistons 46 and 48 are provided in the plungersupporting arm 14 to achieve the pressing movement of the plungers 42and 44 and to properly form the neck portion of the parisons.

Turning next to a more detailed description of the neck ring moldstructure, and also to the mechanism for moving the neck ring moldstructure from the blank to the blow side of the machine section, avertically reciprocable rack gear 100 is conventionally providedgenerally centrally of the machine section, and cooperates with a gear102 located in centered relationship on a laterally extending shaft,best shown in FIG. 2 and comprising a part of the ring mechanism or hubstructure. The said shaft and hub structure rotate the neck ring arms ina conventional fashion from and to the blank sides of the glasswareforming machine section. However, the neck ring arms depicted in thedrawings differ from those utilized previously in that the outer endportions thereof are adapted to pivotally support the neck ringstructures 38 and 40, and also in that means is provided for retainingthese neck ring structures in a particular orientation with respect tothe fixed frame of the machine, not only as the parisons are formed atthe blank station, but also as the neck ring structure and itsassociated parisons are transferred from the blank to the blow side ofthe machine as suggested in FIG. 1.

The inner or pivoted ends of the neck ring arms are conventionallymounted to gibs 106 and 108 provided for this purpose on the neck ringstructure and more particularly on the splined cylinders 110 and 112respectively which cylinders are adapted to rotate in response torotation of the gear 102, that is in response to vertical movement ofthe rack gear 100. The rack gear 100 is driven from an actuator 114which actuator in turn is operated through a valving device associatedwith the timing mechanism 50 of the machine section. These neck ringarms are also movable toward and away one another generally axially withrespect to the neck ring hub structure of FIG. 2. Such means isindicated schematically in FIG. 2 and comprises a conventional elementof the present combination, and hence need not be described in detailherein. Basically, however such means includes a pair of axially spacedannular pistons 114 provided on the shaft 104 and splined cylinders 110and 112 associated with said pistons and adapted to be moved axially inone direction in response to air pressure from the valve timingmechanism 50 and in the opposite direction when such air pressure is cutoff, and coil compression springs 116 act between the splined cylindersand axially fixed flanges 118 and 119.

This axial movement of the neck ring arms is necessary to release theparisons at the blow station, and when the parisons P, P have been solocated, as suggested in FIG. 1, and the blow or final finishing molds126 have closed at the blow side or station of the machine section, theneck ring arms move apart releasing the parison for final forming inresponse to conventionally operated blow heads in the structureindicated generally at 122 in FIG. 2. These blow heads are adapted tomove angularly in a horizontal plane and then downwardly onto the topsof the finishing molds structure once the neck ring arms and neck ringmolds have started their return motion to the blank side of the machine.Air for operation of the mechanism for so moving the blow heads as wellas the blow air itself is provided under the control of the timingmechanism 50. So, too, the means for moving the split blow molds is airoperated in a conventional fashion, and need not be described in detailherein.

Referring now more specifically to the means for transferring the neckring mold structures 38 and 40 in an orientation which will keep theparisons P, P upright, not only during forming at the blank station, butalso during movement to the blow side of the machine, said meanspreferably comprises mechanical drive means associated with at least oneof the neck ring arms and includes an endless chain 130 entrained overthe sprockets 132 and 134 carried, respectively, adjacent the pivotedand the free ends of said one neck ring arm 128. This structure is shownto best advantage in FIG. 2 where one of the neck ring mold structures38 is also depicted as pivotally supported at the free end of said neckring arm 128 by stub shaft 140. A second stub shaft 142 is aligned withthe first such shaft 140 and it pivotally supports the other neck ringstructure 40. Thus, both neck ring structures are pivotally supported atthe free ends of their associated neck ring arms by the aligned stubshafts 140 and 142.

Means is preferably provided for continually aligning the neck ring moldstructures 38 and 40 with respect to one another on these shafts 140 and142, and said means comprises a pair of tension springs 150 and 152extending across and between the neck ring structures 38 and 40 as bestshown in FIG. 2. These springs bias the neck ring structures 38 and 40toward aligned positions with respect to one another especially duringreturn movement of the neck ring mold segments, that is when the neckring molds are being returned from the blow to the blank side of themachine without any parison supported therebetween. The presence of theparisons P, P will align these neck ring structures during parisontransfer movement, but means must be provided during return movementafter the parisons are deposited at the blow station.

Still with reference to the mechanical drive means for keeping the neckring structure 38 horizontal and hence orienting the parisons verticallyduring transfer, said means further includes a fixed gear 154 carried onthe shaft 104 of the neck ring hub structure. The said gear 154 isadapted to mesh with a gear segment 156 provided on a rock shaft 158,which rock shaft also serves to support the sprocket 132 associated withthe inner or pivoted end of the neck ring arm 128. An outer gear oridler gear 160 is provided at the free or outer end of the neck ring armon the stub shaft 140, and said gear 160 meshes with a gear 162 (bestshown in FIG. 2) located on the same shaft 138 which carries the outersprocket 134 mentioned previously. With particular reference to FIG. 1then, it will be apparent that as the neck ring arm 128 moves clockwisefrom the solid line position at the blank side, to and through theintermediate broken line position, and thence to its blow side positionthe neck ring structure 38 will be retained in a generally horizontalconfiguration or orientation with the result that the parisons P, P hangdownwardly continuously as they move from the blank to the blow side ofthe machine section. These gear and sprocket trains, on the pivoted andouter ends of the neck ring arm rotate oppositely with respect to oneanother, and in the ratio of one to one, in order to provide the desired"hanging" movement of the parisons P, P.

As the neck ring arm 128 so moves, the fixed gear 154 on shaft 104causes clockwise rotation of the gear segment 156 with the result thatthe chain 130 rotates in such a direction as to cause similar clockwiserotation of sprocket 134 corresponding to that of its associatedsprocket 132 with the result that gear 162 also rotates clockwisecausing gear 160 to rotate counterclockwise and through an angulardisplacement equal but opposite to that of the neck ring arm itself.Since the gear 160 is carried by stub shaft 140 it follows that the neckring structure 38 will also rotate with respect to the arm and therebyremain in its horizontal orientation as depicted in FIG. 1 as the arm sorotates. Duplication of this mechanical mechanism associated with theleft-hand neck ring arm is avoided by virtue of the fact that when theparison is carried by the neck ring mold segments the right-hand neckring structure 40 must follow its counterpart or left-hand neck ringmold structure 38. As mentioned previously, during return movement ofthe neck ring arms the neck ring mold structures are maintained incorresponding positions as a result of the alignment or tension springs150 and 152. Thus, the path of the parisons formed at the blank stationas they are transferred to the blow side of the machine it is bestillustrated in FIG. 1, wherein these parisons are illustrated as hangingdownwardly throughout the path of their travel facilitating theformation of glassware articles by an upright press and blow process ina glassware forming machine section of the Hartford I. S. type.Heretofore, the press and blow process in a typical Hartford I. S. typeglassware forming machine section has required that the parison or blankbe formed in an inverted orientation and be rotated into an uprightorientation with respect to the frame of the machine even as the neckring arm transfers the parison to the blow station. In the operation ofa glassware forming machine at relatively high speed it has been foundthat this compound swinging movement of the parison caused by rotationwith respect to the fixed frame of the machine during such transfer hascaused undue twisting action and undue stress in the area of the neckwhere the parison is supported, all of which disadvantages are avoidedin a modified or improved glassware forming machine section of the typedescribed herein.

I claim:
 1. In a glassware forming machine having a blank mold station,the improvement comprising:a. structure defining at least two blank moldcavities for receiving gobs of glass dropped downwardly therein, b.partible neck ring mold structures including neck ring molds mating withsaid blank mold cavity defining structure at the blank station, c.parison forming plungers for insertion downwardly into said blank moldcavities, d. support means for said plungers including a verticallyoriented fluid motor with a vertically movable part, e. a plungersupporting arm carried by said movable fluid motor part, f. individualfluid motor means associated with each plunger, each individual fluidmotor means having a first part mounted in said supporting arm and asecond part movable with respect to the first and connected to anassociated plunger, and g. means for moving said plunger supporting armhorizontally between an active position wherein said plungers arelocated above the blank mold cavities and an inactive position to oneside thereof to permit said gobs to be so dropped into the blank moldcavities.
 2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said blank molddefining structure comprises one piece body molds having upwardly opencavities for receiving the glass gobs, and partible intermediate moldshorizontally movable in the machine for clamping the neck ring molds tothe body molds and cooperating therewith to define said blank moldcavities.
 3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said body moldsare movable vertically to separate said body molds from the parisonsfrom said blank mold cavity defining structure.
 4. The combinationdefined in claim 1 wherein said vertically reciprocable fluid motormovable part comprises a hollow cylindrical housing, a piston in saidhousing, a shaft for said piston, means for preventing rotationalmovment between said shaft and said housing and said means for movingsaid plunger supporting arm horizontally comprising a fluid motor with amovable part connected to said shaft for rotating it through an angulardisplacement such that said plungers move between said active andinactive positions.
 5. The combination defined in claim 4 wherein alower end of said shaft is rotatably support in the fixed frame of themachine, and wherein the upper end of the shaft is also supported forrotation in the machine frame.